A Stamp in Order
A sheet of unused commemorative postage stamps lay slightly skewed across the open blotting pad on the desk. Walking forward with measured steps, I paused to confirm my footing upon the polished walnut wood. Each miniature square depicted a curled coastal seahorse beside a scalloped heraldic border, but the perforated sheet had curled slightly at the lower left corner. Leaning my round body forward, I placed my small felt foot firmly atop the paper's edge, pressing down with even, polite weight until the corner relaxed flush against the pad. Now every crest rests in upright, dignified alignment.

